


The Arisen's Journey

by charactersreadtheirstorysfan



Category: Dragon's Dogma, Dragon's Dogma (Video Game), Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Genre: Because come on, Calling out the Duke on his BS, Cassardis is it's own kingdom, Could have romance, Duchess Arisen (or the equivalent of), F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Friendship builiding, Gen, Maybe punching Feste, War, and banding against the darkness, he's a jerk that taunts gardner's during false imprisonment, lots of friendship - Freeform, may end up gen, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 18:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13463658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charactersreadtheirstorysfan/pseuds/charactersreadtheirstorysfan
Summary: The Arisen is the daughter of the Chief of Cassardis and that means something. She will defend her people even if that means going toe-to-toe against the Duke or befriending his new wife.Anything for her people.





	The Arisen's Journey

**Author's Note:**

> I have just started playing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen and have fallen in love and I have so many headcannons. So here is my first chapter and more is soon to come. Please leave a comment!

               The waves lap at her thighs, playfully tugging on her long cotton skirt. Children’s laughter trickles down the hill from the main path coloring the early morning with cheer. The sand is warm beneath her back although the sky is overcast enough that when she opens her eyes she doesn’t need to squint.

               She lays perfectly still, straining her ears and she catches the smallest smack of bare feet against wet sand – all at once she launches into motion. Pulling her legs to her chest and shifting her weight to her hands before flipping upward and pinning her prey to her chest, skirt flaring out in an arch before settling around her ankles.

               “Got you!” She cries as Tomlin wiggles in her grip. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Ansell and Alita laughing.

               “Not fair, Elise.” Tomlin pouts as she sets him down. Before he can try for any type of retribution (most likely pushing her into the water) they hear a loud clanging at the village gate. For one hot, white instant panic sears her brain because Gran Soren guards do not come here. Cassardis is not under the rule of Gran Soren, because the people of this village are descendent from the legend-king that ended the warring in the peninsula. Trade often occurred but the village was self sufficient and everyone in Gran Soren knew it.

               As the adopted daughter of Chief Adaro, who in Gran Soren’s hierarchy would be a Duke, Elise was technically a princess though the next chief would be her sister, Quina, who best fit the role. Even the token guards: Poll, Grecio, and Rojay were all natives of Cassardis, although they were sent and trained to be knights in Gran Soren as part of the peace treaty. The people of Cassardis do not fear the Brine, the invisible presence in all deep water that drowns all those that enter it, no descendent of the legend-king need fear the open water. It is for that reason Gran Soren and all other foreign powers will never attack them – the village could take to boats or even swim and the Brine would take care of anyone that tried to follow.

               Immediately, Else turns towards the children and orders them to get to the Church, they look confused but comply readily enough. She may be their friend, but she is also the Chief’s daughter. As she watches them run up the hill she catches Quina’s eye and starts to wave before, “Dragon!” splits the air and Quina’s face becomes the picture of horror as she grips Sentena’s shoulder.

               Then far-off wing beats get louder and louder before a roar splits the air like a tortured shriek. Then air blasts them like a battering ram, throwing everyone to the ground before the Dragon turns and blasts those closest to it in flames made from nightmares. And then Poll and Grecio rush forward swords held high and she has no time to wonder at where Rojay is before the knights are slammed to the ground by a swipe of the dragon’s tail. As they fly back Poll’s sword falls onto the ground near her and suddenly Elise knows exactly what she needs to do.

               She is the daughter of Adaro and she will defend her people, Quina will be evacuating the villagers, but she has to buy them time. Elise grips the sword tightly before ducking below the dragon’s belly and sticking her sword into the dragons back leg as hard as she can. She knew it wouldn’t do much damage, she was used to a bow and daggers, but her people were _depending on her_ and she would do anything for them.

               The next thing she knew, she was lying on the beach and the pain was everywhere, so intense it burned out all other senses as this dragon, Grigori, _ate her heart_. The sea lapped her face, the Brine calling to her, but the Brine couldn’t leave the water and the dragon could fly to get her even if she was able to swim. As Elise’s vision faded to black she heard Grigori’s booming voice tell her to seek him out if she wanted her heart back.

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               When she next wakes there is a thick, white scar marring her tan, sun-kissed skin where her heart used to be. She finds a mirror and sees that she has a small scar over her left eye and claw marks covered her right arm from shoulder to wrist. She was unbothered by these because they were proof she protected her people, she bought them time. She had to find Quina, see how many they were able to save.

She grabbed her daggers and her short bow from where they were leaning against the door. Then she slipped into her leather armor, strapped her skull belt and weapons on and did one final glance in the mirror. Her golden eyes stood out against her cocoa skin and her thick black hair had the hair at each side of her temple braided back to meet at the back of her head where they joined into one braid before being tied off at the end. Quina must’ve done this while she was tending to her wounds because this was a braid of valor – something given only to the bravest warriors and most steadfast protectors.

When she walks out the room she sees Quina and her father talking quietly about her heart-scar and how she no longer has a heartbeat. Her father leaves to check on the others before she can work up the courage to speak and so it is only when Quina turns around that she is noticed.

“Elise! Are you OK?” Quina asks as she looks worriedly into my eyes.

“I’ll be fine Quina, but I must make for the Encampment and let our allies know that dragon attacked the village – we can’t give them a reason to say we’re breaking the peace treaty.” Quina still looks concerned but she knows she can’t take my place, I have always been the envoy for our people and now that I am Arisen sending any other will be seen as a slight we can’t afford as long as a dragon skulks the land.

“Be safe.” Is all Quina says but her eyes tell me everything else. I hand over the herbs I had been collecting in my free time and tell her to give them to Benita to see if she can make medicine from them. As I pull my traveling cloak on Quina follows me down the many stairs from the Chief’s residence to the main part of the village.

“I will be back soon, Sister.” I say as I pull her into a tight hug. “If anything is needed send a runner to me and I will be back as fast as my legs can carry me.” We both know I wish to stay, but it is our duty and we love our people more than we could ever desire total freedom. I wave to my fellow villagers as I leave Cassardis and feel them eyeing my valor braid in approval.

               I feel something warm in my chest at the thought of making my people so proud and even Reynard’s light-hearted teasing about how I always have to play the hero does nothing to quell my joy.

               Our journey is swift, and we encounter no monsters, but that is not a surprise on such a well-traveled road in the middle of the day. Especially when those travelers are as well-experienced as Reynard and I are. We make good time to the Encampment, the high walls and high-strung guards in well-worn armor the first thing we see.

               “Duchess Elise!” The guards say as they snap to attention. One of them makes an aborted movement to reach out to me – perhaps noting the several new scars upon my person. These guards are aware of my position but those that are enlisted and trained here are not, they haven’t been vetted so the actual identity of our royalty is known to few, unless otherwise required.

               “At ease, friends. And just Arisen will do.” They shift in embarrassment at my gentle reprimand about my title before agreeing. Reynard, bored of political talk begins to usher me into the encampment, but not before I secure a promise to meet up that night and catch up with Ser Berne and Ser Keene.

The inside of the encampment is controlled chaos as soldier’s rush to and fro making sure supplies are ready, checking armaments, and taking inventory. I feel a deep pull in my mind to the back tent where Ecbal hosts his ‘Inn’. I absentmindedly say goodbye to Reynard before ascending to the steps and breezing right past Ecbal to where the pull is leading me. To my surprise it is a rift stone, telling me to prove my bravery to earn the loyalty of the Pawns.

                 Pawns are not something that often travel to Cassardis, mostly because no one plans attacks on a village that has the Brine as a loyal guardian and so sell-swords are not needed. We still see them when they take breaks or need to heal, our village is relaxing to their kind and we do our best to accommodate them.

               With new purpose I march out of the tent short bow and hair swinging with my sudden change in direction as I look for a quest to prove my worth. A Pawn’s loyalty is absolute and in a political game with the Duke of Gran Soren I would need someone I could trust absolutely at my back.

               As I search for _anything_ to prove my worth I hear the clamoring of the alarm bells and hear the guards on duty shout, “Monster!”. I smirk to myself as I take off after them.

Perfect.

 

 

 


End file.
